But for a long time I was obsessed with Hostess cupcakes, those dry brown cupcakes with the squiggle of icing curling over the cardboard-like chocolate topping. By no means gourmet, there was something about that overly sweet white centre balanced against the chocolate cake that had me craving them.

Jennifer Steinhauer has tapped into that craving for classic snack nostalgia with her cookbook Treat Yourself (Clarkson Potter/Publishers), which features 70 recipes for such goodies as Twinkies, Mallomars, Cheetos and Cracker Jacks.

Although skewed heavily to those snacks widely available in the U.S. — including recipes for the Girl Scout cookies that everyone seems to go mad for when the girls in uniform go door-to-door selling them — those of us on this side of the border still recognize most of the cookies, chocolate bars and salty snacks from pop culture references and television commercials. And if none of the Girl Scout cookies are familiar, or don’t tempt, then there are old standbys like Nutter Butters, Fig Newtons and Oreos to be recreated.

Most of the recipes feature photographs to help jog memories of snacks from our youth and Steinhauer covers a wide range of recipes in the book.

Her tone is informative and charming, especially for those recipes when she recounts her own experiences enjoying them as a kid. At points, I was smiling and laughing out loud at her introductions.

But, for me, there was only one recipe I could focus on: Steinhauer’s take on the Hostess cupcakes.

I will give the plastic manufactured version this one compliment: it’s a lot easier to just buy them.

The four-stage recipe took a lot longer than anticipated and, initially — after the piping bag exploded icing everywhere — I wasn’t convinced they were the effort. Stepping away from the kitchen for a few hours after they were done helped, though. And when I ate a cupcake, bit through the ganache and icing curlicue topping and into that sweet, white filling, I knew I had been mistaken.

These are not Hostess cupcakes; they are a high-end nod to that concept.

There were a couple of hiccups. First, I got 32 cupcakes instead of the anticipated 18, even after I filled the cups more than halfway. Baking in batches and filling and icing them all took longer than anticipated, though I wouldn’t necessarily say having extras is something to complain about.

Second, dipping them to get that chocolate coating didn’t work so well for me, so I suggest using a small spoon to dollop over the ganache and swipe around the top of the cupcake for an even coating, if that’s giving trouble.

Lastly, it took a lot of effort not to eat more than I should. But I did eat two. After all, that’s how they’re packaged.

Hostess Cupcakes

There are numerous steps to make these cupcakes come together, but the effort is worthwhile. The cupcakes are far tastier and decadent versions of the original, but with enough of a nod to their roots that you can taste the nostalgia.

For the cupcakes:

1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened

2 cups (500 mL) sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup (250 mL) natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s Baking Cocoa

2 1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) whole milk

For the filling:

1 cup (250 mL) marshmallow fluff (**see cook’s note)

1/3 cup (80 mL) salted butter, softened

1/2 cup (125 mL) powdered sugar

For the frosting:

1/3 cup (80 mL) heavy cream

1 cup/8 oz (250 mL/250 g) bittersweet chocolate morsels

1 1/2 tbsp (22 mL) salted butter, softened

For the frosting decoration (optional):

1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a 6- and 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

Make the cupcake batter: In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar together at medium speed just until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix just until combined. In a measuring cup, stir 1/2 cup (125 mL) hot water and the cocoa together until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed for an additional 10 seconds.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and beating after each additional until the ingredients are just blended.

Fill each prepared muffin cup half full with chocolate batter. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the filling: Using a clean bowl and a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the marshmallow fluff, the 1/3 cup (80 mL) of butter, and the 1/3 cup (80 mL) of powdered sugar together until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Using the handle of a small fork or spoon, make a hole in the top centre of each cake. Gently rotate the utensil in each hole to create a small cavity at each opening. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and pipe in just enough marshmallow mixture to fill each hole. As with the Twinkie, you want a firm grasp on your cupcake as you infuse it with filling, so as not to allow it to explode; once you feel it growing in size, stop infusing. Use a wet fingertip or the back of a spoon to tamp down any marshmallow peaks, ensuring that the filling is even with the top of the cupcake.

Make the frosting: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until bubbles form at the edges. Add the chocolate morsels and remove the pan from the heat, stirring until the chocolate melts. Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 mL) salted butter and continue to stir until smooth. Let cool for 3 minutes. Transfer the chocolate to a large, deep glass bowl. Dip the top of each cupcake into the chocolate to coat, letting the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Let the cupcakes rest on a wire rack set over newspapers until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Make the frosting decoration: In a small bowl, beat the 1/4 cup (60 mL) of butter and the 1/2 cup (125 mL) of powdered sugar together until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and decorate the top of each cupcake with a curlicue pattern. Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

**Cook’s note: Marshmallow fluff is widely available at most large grocery stores. Find it either with the peanut butter or sundae toppings.

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